Closure Plan

The following summarizes the US Holocaust Memorial Museum lapse plan as required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11.

Major Activities Impacted During Shutdown

Museum building will be open to the public, including selected public programs.*

All on-site and off-site public programs funded with appropriated funds will be cancelled.

Museum will conform to normal shutdown procedures.

Shutdown Highlights

The Museum building will be open to the public. Most operations funded by federal appropriations will cease except for those deemed necessary to protect lives and the Museum's property (buildings and collections).

Non-appropriated fund staff will continue working.

The Museum’s website will continue operating. Non-appropriated funds will be used to pay for website operational costs during a shutdown.

The Museum will need one-half day to complete orderly shutdown operations.

Employees on board before implementation of this plan:

Non-appropriated = 290

Federal = 142

Employees retained under this plan:

All non-appropriated fund employees.

Federal employees who are deemed necessary because of responsibilities related to the safety of human life, the protection of property and to keep the Museum building open to the public.

The following federal management personnel will be on-call during the furlough for the purpose of furlough related decisions affecting the safety of human life and the protection of property, for discussions and decisions related to the government’s management of the furlough process, the end of the furlough and orderly restart of agency operations, or emergencies, and for other lawful purposes:

Deputy Museum Director and Chief Program Officer

Chief Museum Operations Officer

General Counsel

Director, Operations

Director, Protection Services

Staff Status

Federal Funds

Federal staff may not perform any services other than those involved in the orderly suspension of non-excepted activities; excepted activities that may be continued are generally those that are authorized by law, or those that protect life and property in accordance with OMB guidance.

In accordance with guidance provided by the Office of Personnel Management, federal benefits will continue as usual. Federal employees who are furloughed will not be paid during the shutdown and should not expect to be paid retroactively. Retained federal employees, who work during the shutdown, will receive pay for their services once the shutdown expires.

There will be a non-appropriated fund staff person (and a back-up) designated as Senior Staff on Duty during the shutdown. This position will report to the Museum Director and will be responsible for all day-to-day operational decisions during the shutdown.

Buildings Status

Museum – Open to the public.* Open to all non-appropriated fund staff, retained federal staff, and designated contractors.

Operational Status by Unit

Museum Services

Retained federal staff: 16 staff (when the Museum building is open to the public) using carryover funds.

Retained federal contractors: None.

Operations / Facilities Management

Operations staff consisting of retained federal employees and contractors deemed necessary to safeguard Museum property/the physical plant will remain on site. There will be minimum operational support for items/services such as supplies, mailroom, housekeeping, loading dock, phones, and copy/fax machines.

General Counsel

There will be one non-appropriated fund staff attorney working during the furlough to address routine legal matters that arise through the ongoing work of non-appropriated fund staff.

Human Resources

Non-appropriated human resources staff will work.

Retained federal staff and contractors: None.

Information Technology

There will be minimal staffing and contractor support paid with non-appropriated funds unless required by the excepted activities related to safety of human life or the protection of property including safeguarding systems.

The Museum’s website will continue operations, as it includes capabilities related to Congressionally-authorized non-appropriated fund activities, including fundraising.

Non-appropriated funds will pay for operational costs.

Retained federal staff: 2 staff (when the Museum building is open to the public) using carryover funds.

Retained federal contractors: None.

Security

Security staff consisting of retained federal employees and contractors deemed necessary to ensure the safety of the non-appropriated fund staff and necessary to safeguard Museum property will remain on site.

Collections

Non-appropriated fund staff will continue to work and are adequate to properly safeguard the collection.

Retained federal staff and contractors: None.

Financial Management

Non-appropriated fund payments will be processed.

Retained federal staff and contractors: None.

Additional Operational Items

Travel

Federal staff on travel will be recalled where reasonable and practicable.

Non-appropriated staff travel will continue, if funded by non-appropriated funds. During a shutdown, donated staff can use the travel arranger contractor to make arrangements (charged to non-appropriated funds). Travel expenses are subject to normal government travel regulations.

Press

All inquiries and official media relations will be handled by non-appropriated staff in Communications.

Contractors

Subject to the listed exceptions, contractors paid with federal funds will not be allowed to work. The only exceptions include federal contractors whose responsibilities include the safety of human life and the protection of property and contractors funded with prior year federal appropriations. Those contractors have already been identified by the appropriate units (Operations and Protection Services). Contracts paid with non-appropriated funds can continue.

Volunteers (includes unpaid interns)

Museum volunteers (and non-paid interns) assignments will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the unit’s needs.

Paid Interns (all paid with non-appropriated funds)

The status of paid interns will be determined by each unit where they are assigned based on needs.

Fellows / Researchers / Visiting Scholars

These guests will be allowed to continue their work within the constraints of shutdown operations including limited access to Museum resources. Final working status/conditions will be determined by each Division or Office to whom they report.

General

All federal staff will be informed that they are prohibited by law from continuing work during the shutdown (no telework, work at home, or use of Museum resources or equipment). This does not apply to retained employees and on-call management officials.

*The decision to keep the Museum building open to the public will be re-evaluated depending on the duration of the shutdown.